Identify the following logical fallacies below: Straw Man, Ad Hominem, False
Dichotomy, Begging the Question
-A: I think contraception is wrong.
B: You’re a Catholic. Of course you’d say that.
-Ad hominem. The response is directed at the person, not the argument.
-A: You only have faith because your parents do.
B: Actually I’ve researched my faith a lot, asked a lot of questions, and I just think it
makes the most sense.
A: Yeah, but you only think it makes sense because it’s the one your parents taught you.
-Begging the Question. The assumption is that the only reason to have faith is
your parents did. When B presents other reasons, A reinterprets them to fit the 1st
reason.
-Senator Jones says that we should not fund the attack submarine program. I can't
understand why he wants to leave us defenseless like that.
-Straw man. The issue is oversimplified, discounting that real reasons might exist
and making the position look ridiculous. False dichotomy could also work.
-People only have faith for emotional comfort, but the strong don’t need it.
-Straw man. Emotional comfort is suggested as the only reason one might have
faith. There are several other reasons for having faith that are not mentioned.
-If you don’t buy music on iTunes, you must steal it.
-False dichotomy. There are other options aside from these 2.
-Catholics say they believe in the Bible, but they believe in the Assumption, which isn’t
in the Bible, so they don’t really believe in the Bible.
-False dichotomy. Belief in the Bible and belief in the Assumption are not
mutually exclusive. It is possible to believe in both.
-Why should I listen to the Pope? He’s just some old man in Rome.
-Ad hominem. The Pope is being attacked, not any of his opinions.
-Faith isn’t legitimate, because it is most prominent in poor and uneducated areas.
-Ad hominem. No argument is made against faith. It is assumed poor and
uneducated people are wrong.
-Affirmative action can never be fair or just. You cannot remedy one injustice by
committing another.
-Begging the question. The argument is trying to prove that affirmative action is
unjust. The second sentence assumes this is true.
-I am not a liar.
-Begging the question. The argument is that I’m trustworthy. I cannot vouch for
myself.
-Jesus says “Blessed are the poor,” which encourages the poor to be satisfied with what
they have. Christianity is just a way to protect the rich and keep them in power.
-Straw man. Christianity is oversimplified in an attempt to ruin its credibility.
There are many passages saying how difficult it is to be holy and rich that are
ignored.
-If the Pope does not want people to die of AIDS, he must let them use condoms.
-False dichotomy. There are other ways to prevent AIDS.
